Nalu: Natsu the Fire Dragon
by naluhedgehogs
Summary: When Princess Lucy goes missing under really suspicious circumstances, King Jude hires the fire dragon of fairy tail to rescue the lost maiden. The connection between these two, could it be magic? Or something more? Nalu with a nice hint of Gajevy. Warning: there may be a whole lot of friendship, adventures, adorable moments and of course, so much fluff!
1. The Beginning

**FOR ALL NEW AND RETURNING READERS: CHAPTER ONE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RE-WRITTEN BUT CONTAINS THE SAME GENERAL CONTENT, JUST IN A DIFFERENT STYLE. Hello darlings! I have been reading a lot of NaLu recently as I am trying to take a break and relax just a bit before exams start to overtake me. As they are coming up soon, as I have also mentioned in my other stories (Nalu: Prom is in progress as well if you might want to check that out) updates may be a bit random as opposed to scheduled but I hope you'll stay with me! I hope you enjoy this idea, this is more of a prologue/early beginning of the story so it's kind of a budding idea but I really do want to know what you think! Drop a review and let me know, follow or favorite if you're interested, random promo etc etc. Besides all of that, I hope you guys like it! Love you all!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**

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The Kingdom of Fiore has always been peaceful. The king ruled fairly, and the princess was kind and beautiful. In the city of Magnolia, however, often there was disturbance.

" _NATSU, GRAY, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!_ " Erza bellowed, catching a flying table out of the air before it hit poor Wendy and Levy, both of which were paying them no mind. The two fighting mages froze, before quickly throwing their arms around each other's shoulders. " _Sorry!"_ They squeaked simultaneous, before slinking away, glaring at each other when Erza turned around. General commotion filled the common room, as other guild members laughed joyfully with one another, several drinking competitions were going down, as well as magic demonstrations, that often wrecked half of the hall.

A normal day at Fairy Tail.

Master Makarov sat in his office, listening to the noise while massaging his temples. " _Darn Brats. Make it hard to get any work done around-"_ He cut off as, from a sudden whirl of smoke, a person appeared by his desk. " _Mest. An uncommon surprise. What brings you here?"_ Mest looked at him, but simply dropped a scroll of parchment on his desk, gazing at him sadly, before vanishing. Worriedly, Makarov tugged the ribbon from the scroll, and began to read.

* * *

Natsu stood by the request board, reading the papers over. Nothing. No monster fighting, no bandit capturing, no fighting of any kind. Simple modeling requests, help requests, or some type of performance request. He turned, frustrated but before he made it back to his seat, the door to the Master's office slammed open.

" _ALRIGHT BRATS, LISTEN UP_ " The guild quieted. Kind of. " _Something has happened. I got a letter from the capital."_ His somber tone and deadly serious face brought complete silence to the guild. " _Princess Lucy has gone missing."_ An uproar.

Makarov waited as the guild erupted again, exchanging a glance with Erza who had joined him by the bar. Her eye started to twitch as the commotion continued to become steadily louder. " _SHUT IT."_ She snapped, causing Makarov to chuckle loudly. Typical Erza.

Needless to say, quickly the hall was quiet again. " _As I was saying, the Princess has gone missing. And, from direct request from the King, Fairy Tail is to send a Mage to rescue her."_ He smiled. " _Natsu, do you accept his request?"_ The salmon-haired dragon slayer grinned widely. " _I'm all fired up!"_

As the Mage reached for his pack, Makarov called out for him. " _What's up Gramps?"_ Somberly, the short man looked off. " _There is no guarantee this will be easy. The Kingdom withholds many secrets, even from me. But I need you to promise me. Please, find Lady Lucy. She holds more power than we know."_ Natsu nodded, and Makarov held out another scroll of parchment. " _Don't let us down"_ He took the scroll.

" _I won't."_

* * *

 **Here is the beginning! I hope you guys liked it as much as I did! I really like how it turned out! Please review and tell me your thoughts, and favorite and follow if you want to see more! I love you all so much and I hope you enjoy this! Stay tuned for updates, I have got big plans for this! Hehe, more characters to come and a whole lot of fluff! Love you lots darlings!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	2. A note

**Hello everyone! As I said *ages ago* I should be posting more that it is summer.. So I will try! My sister has to get her wisdom teeth out next Friday and it is the Sunday before so I will be spending a lot of time helping her after the surgery, so I cannot guarantee posts. I will try to work on chapters early, which I have not been doing, every chapter so far has been written the day it was uploaded which isn't the best idea admittedly. So yeah, I will be working on writing and hopefully getting some good content. Please be patient, sorry for this not being a chapter chapter. But, don't give up, I should have the next chapter up very soon... *wink wink* if you want... Love ya!**


	3. The Journey Begins

**Hello everyone! A new chapter as promised! I will try, as I mentioned earlier, to work on more than one chapter at a time so the updates will be more frequent. I hope you enjoy, and, as always please leave a review telling me what you thought, they are fuel for my updates! Follow and favorite to see more, without further rambling, here you go! ~ naluhedgehogs**

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" _Don't let us down_ " Master's words echoed in Natsu's mind as he left the guild. The princess needed him, after all, he was the one her father selected. Come to think of it, he never heard much about the princess. She didn't spend much time showing off in her father's court, attracting attention with fancy gowns, holding herself to some higher esteem, she didn't do any of that. Occasionally an article in a magazine would showcase her, an interview, some pictures, but that would be it. Even with the minimal coverage, all of the residents of the kingdom adored the golden haired princess.

Natsu had seen her in person once before. He wasn't one to attend stuffy meetings with the king's court, though his guild was invited often. He would leave that to Master, Mira, and Erza, who had no problem sitting and listening to the ramblings of various folk. For some reason, Natsu couldn't forget the day.

*flashback : 2 weeks prior*

Careful to avoid Erza's nagging to attend at least one court meeting with the rest of the guild, Natsu slipped out of Fairy Tail for the day. Wandering aimlessly through the streets of Magnolia, Natsu heard his stomach rumble. He felt around for his wallet as he made his way to street vendors selling various delicious, and sometimes odd, foods. And there stood a girl, her head draped with a purple hood, wrapped and tied in a delicate bow around her neck. Thanking the vendor as he handed her a parcel, she turned to a small boy, poor and thin, who clutched his arm with a few tears leaking out of the corner of his eye. " _Now now"_ she spoke gently, " _please do not cry!_ " She held the parcel out to him, and her soft brown eyes caught the light, a single lock of her golden hair falling from the hood. The boy looked up to her, and a small smile broke on his face. She shared the smile, and Natsu found himself unable to tear his eyes from the two. Using a soft finger, she wiped the tear from the child's eye. " _Please, bring this home, eat. I hope your mother gets well!_ ' His eyes widened " _H-how-"_ She held a finger to her lips. " _T-thank you princess!_ " He cried softly. She responded with a smile as he ran off down the street. She gave a smile back to the vendor as well, before handing him a few extra gold coins. Before he protested, she nodded, and turned, making eye contact with Natsu, who still stood.

" _Oh! I'm sorry, sir! Was I in your way? Do pardon!_ " Natsu, still a bit behind, shook his head rapidly. " _You weren't causing me trouble at all, you're good!_ " Once his words caught up with him, he felt a bit sheepish. 'youre good? Really Natsu? That's what you say to the princess?' He wanted to slap himself. She seemed to notice his internal struggle and laughed lightly. " _It seems I should probably return to my castle, I'm sure my father needs me_ " she spoke, with notable softness. " _I hope to meet again-"_ she left off with an air of question. " _Natsu_ " he responded, shooting her a fanged grin. She smiled back " _Natsu!"_

 _*_ end of flashback*

He remembered the kindness she showed, and it made him feel a fire building inside. He had to get the princess back, her kingdom needed her. Even if it meant-

A train. He could feel his face turn slightly green as he approached the platform. But, steeling himself, he tried to prepare for the sickening motion forthcoming. The princess was last known to be visiting the small port town of Hargeon, likely in search of books, her father had laughed. She had a fondness for reading, and writing often took up a portion of her time. The magic shops and bookstores of Hargeon often lured her there. So, that was where he would look.

" _Bleck"_ Natsu moaned, proceeding to roll around in his seat, desperately holding his fist to his mouth, sickeningly green and lying back against his pack. A worried assistant on the train had attempted to ask to help, but after Natsu promptly threw up in the attempt to speak, the girl hurried away. He groaned. " _Dammit all"_ he muttered, making a pointed attempt to stay quite prone. But he kept his mind on his task. " _I have to save her"_ No matter what.

A dreary two hours later, Natsu felt the train pull to a stop. Leaping animatedly from his seat, he snatched his pack and bolted off the train, falling dramatically to his knees, kissing the ground and muttering something about 'sweet sweet land' and 'damn trains'. Some passerbys stared oddly, but many, after catching a glimpse of his bright red guild mark, shook their heads and continued on.

After a good five minutes of ground-hugging, Natsu pulled himself up. He needed to find the princess. But. He also needed food. (AN: typical Natsu) Manuvering, or, more like bumping and pushing, through the clusters of people, he quickly found himself a restaurant and proceeded to empty the place of most all of its food. Steak, fish, chicken, pasta, fries, even salad was demolished recklessly with some waiters watching in awe, and even others cringing in disgust. Or horror. Likely the latter.

Finishing his meal and burping loudly (AN: cringe) Natsu continued on. Removing the piece of parchment from his pack, he read the king's note once more.

"To Natsu, the Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail

I have heard of your abilities and it is my desperate request for your help. My daughter, Princess Lucy, has gone missing. She last left upon a trip to Hargeon in search of a shop rumored to have magic keys. To you, this may be a surprise, as it has been a secret since the passing of her mother, Queen Layla, mostly for her safety, but my daughter is a Celestial Spirit Mage. She has her keys, four golden Zodiacs and a couple of silver, but I fear that may not be enough to protect her. Please, save my daughter. We need her.

King Jude"

This was the third time he read the letter, enclosed was a ribbon, bright red in color with a small attached note, saying only "I have heard from Master Makarov of your keen senses. If this be any help, I pray you can use it." He held it to his nose, catching the distinct scent of soft strawberry vanilla. Placing the cloth in the pocket of his baggy pants, he clenched his fist, as his brain repeated itself for the 90th time that day. _Lucy._

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed! I plan to go back and revise chapter 1, I hope to make it a whole lot better, and I tried to make this one notably longer than I generally do! I hope you love it and until next time, please review and tell me what you think, favorite and follow if you enjoyed, love you bunches!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	4. Mysterious Man

**Good day to you! I hope you are all doing well! I have been working really hard on new chapters, and I hope this one is really enjoyable for you! I would like to thank my reviewers for their critiques, and I am able to often go back and fix them, so thanks a whole lot! Hope you enjoy! Please leave a review with any comments you have, and follow this story to get notified when I update! Love you all loads, till we meet again :) ~naluhedgehogs**

* * *

Natsu held the ribbon in his hand tightly as he sampled the air. No sign of her being anywhere near him recently. He growled under his breath. ' _Cmon Natsu, think. The princess needs help. Where could she have... The letter!'_ He quickly stuffed the ribbon back in his pack, and looked at the letter yet again. A magic shop. It said she was going to visit a magic shop! He looked around. No magic shop in sight, but tucked away in a corner not far up the road, he saw a quaint little bookstore. If Lucy liked to read, there is no way she would pass up a place like that.

The book store was a lot more mysterious on the inside than it looked. While it appeared to be small, the room was easily large enough to house half a library, and shelves of many sizes were lined in disorganized rows, creating what looked to be a maze. Bare bulbs of a faint blue-ish color ran around the interior walls, criss-crossing above the shelves from the wooden ceiling beams. The room was cast in an almost ethereal glow, and, as far as he could see, no one else was present.

The bulbs provided some light, but the room was still rather dim. Thankfully, his senses, as a dragon slayer, were quite good, and he could see with relative ease, though it was beyond him how any normal person would be able to read anything in this place. He sampled the air as he winded through the maze of bookshelves, but the musty scent of the old pages blocked out any other traces that could have lingered there. He cursed under his breath.

It took a lot of weaving through the shelves, but eventually he reached the back of the shop. There, at a small table, complete with a register and a silver bell, sat a small old man. Similar in size, maybe a slight bit larger than Master Makarov, the old man had a scruffy grey beard that reached to his elbows along with bushy eyebrows and distinct blue eyes. For a minute, the man didn't seem to notice the pink haired teen, but just before Natsu opened his mouth, the man spoke. " _You're a strange looking fellow_ " he quirked, laughing at the slightly-offended look Natsu presented. " _Please, I didnt mean no harm to ya. Tell me, what can I do ya for?"_ His accent was rough, but he was seemingly pleasant. " _Have you seen a girl recently, golden hair, brown eyes? Lucy. Her name was Lucy."_ The old man stopped for a minute, and seemed to ponder. _"Ah yes, ya are referrin' to the Princess? Actually, I'z expecting her, but that was three days ago. Kind soul, she is. Often helps me round the shop. Been 'ere many a time, she has. But no' recently. Sorry lad. Why'd ya question?"_ Natsu swallowed the bit of worry that was slowly building in the back of his mind. " _Haven't you heard?!" (_ Okay maybe he hadn't swallowed ALL of the worry) " _Lucy. She's gone."_ The old man stared at him for a minute, before it set in. " _No..."_ The man shook his head in disbelief. His accent broke. " _No. Not Lucy. Not my darling granddaughter Lucy..."_

* * *

 **Alrighty O! Stopping point for today! Yes, this chapter was shorter. I know, I'm sorry. I am striving for longer and yes, I know that basically nothing happened in this chapter. But this was a nice stopping point. Do not fear my darlings, I will not keep you for very long, I do hope! Please be patient! Please leave a review telling me your thoughts, maybe a favorite or a follow if you enjoy it? Much love! See you next time xoxo**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	5. The man is?

**Hi again everyone! Thanks ever so much for any input you have given me, and for your continued support of this story! This chapter will have a bit more plot development so I hope you are excited! I hope for chapters to be getting a bit longer! But, I don't want to keep you too long so, please review and tell me what you think and follow and favorite if you like it! So, without further ado...**

 **~naluhedgehogs**

* * *

Natsu froze. " _G-Granddaughter?"_ He studied the man, but he could see no resemblance to the Princess nor King Jude. The man noticed his puzzled expression. " _Lady Layla, she was my daughter. A beautiful girl with so much magic power, it is no wonder Lucy was gifted as well. And now..."_ He broke off again, his rough accent totally gone. And as Natsu looked closer, the man himself seemed to slowly become different. His rough beard slowly smoothed and shortened, falling just past his chin. His build became slightly more muscular and he grew larger, and his piercing blue eyes mellowed to a soft brown, much like the princess's.

The man sat straighter. " _Sorry for that."_ His voice was stronger. " _A person, as old as myself, with my build.. It attracts attention. I have to be careful. But apparently it was not enough. They still found Lucy, coming to a small bookshop like this. I suppose the interior could've given it away, but few ever come here."_ He sighed. Looked Natsu in the eyes. " _I know you, son. The Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel. I am correct, aren't I?"_ Natsu could only stare at him for a couple of seconds, then he hesitantly nodded. The old man chuckled. " _Lucy has mentioned your guild before. Fairy Tail. She wished she could join, but her powers have been secret, and joining your guild.. She wouldn't exactly blend in."_ He smiled, but his eyes were sad. " _You plan on rescuing her."_ It wasn't a question, but Natsu nodded.

The man looked at him, before standing. " _Follow me."_

* * *

The man led to a spiraling mahogany staircase that led downwards from the shop. It wasn't hidden, but the light fell cleverly in a way that shadowed the opening. Natsu trailed the stairs behind the man, and noticed how the stairwell, while shadowed from above, still held the mystical blue glow. " _What about the bookstore sir...?" "Harlowe. My name is Harlowe."_ Natsu glanced at the man again, but he didn't look back. " _Dont worry about that. Besides my granddaughter, you are the first visitor in months. You don't see many people reading these days."_ Beyond that, the two didn't speak.

The staircase led into a simple room, which, from the looks of it, it appeared to be Harlowe's residence. In this room too, there were shelves lined with books, but each seemed to be similar. " _Spellbooks."_ Harlowe stated, not bothering to wait for a question. A large canopy bed sat off in a corner and the room was lit by the same bare bulb lights as the store above. On a desk sat a random array of knickknacks, along with a few writing quills and parchments of varying color, aligned neatly in trays. A large map of Fiore splayed halfway across the wall, with various pins stuck in it here and there, and on the ceiling, a beautiful painting of the many constellations spread proudly. Each of the stars seemed to have their own glow, and would twinkle sporadically.

Natsu turned from examining the room to notice Harlowe studying him. " _What?"_ He shook his head. " _Nevermind."_ Natsu's gaze followed him questioningly, but he stopped himself from speaking, which is notably very unlike him. Eventually, he gave in to the temptation.

" _What are you looking for Harlowe?"_ The man shushed him, before grabbing a small book from one of the shelves. He motioned the dragon slayer over, before sitting on the bed. Not wanting to awkwardly sit beside the man, who, even though he was much older, appeared in many ways like Guildarts, at least stature-wise. Instead, he plopped down on the floor. Harlowe let out a laugh. " _I won't bite you, son"_ Now that his cover was gone, Natsu noted he had a rather regal way of speech, and found it wouldn't surprise him if this man once did live a life of royalty. However, he refrained from joining him on the bed, and Harlowe didn't seem to mind.

He held out the book, which Natsu took very carefully. He could tell this was very important to the man, and, accident prone as he was, he didn't want to damage it. The book was worn, bound by thick string, with a weighty but thin leather cover, engraved with a crown bearing a star, along with initials too worn to read. " _This book was presented to Layla's mother on the night of her coronation, as a gift from her father. Layla's mother, Queen Amanda of Fiore, was my wife."_ He paused, and Natsu, intrigued, kept quiet to let him continue.

" _I met Amanda a year prior to her coronation, when she was 17. I too was a Mage of Fairy Tail, the only fire Mage they had at the time. I, was a Fire God Slayer."_

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 **Aaaaaaaannnndddd done! Now, I know, another chapter with a cliffhanger, you must hate me. But, a whole lot is to be revealed in the next chapter, about Lucy, about her grandfather, about... Well, I'm not going to spoil everything! ;) so, stay tuned! Follow for more updates, favorite if you enjoy, and please leave a review to let me know what you think! Thanks to all that have left me a review, I love reading them and I love the input. (Insert new outro here!)**

 **For the love of magic I write for you**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	6. A Past Is Told

**Hello minna! Back to writing naluhedgehogs is yes? Haha, I will stop with the Yoda speech now! Anyway, I was planning on writing and updating this earlier but my sister has her wisdom teeth out and I didn't want to leave her, so... Anyway, I am coming back to work on this, I'm hoping to also get up a new chapter for my story Prom as well but I can't make too many promises! I have a concert I'm attending Friday and it is Wednesday so unless I can get on a roll with writing, I probably won't manage to get them both up, but we shall see! As always, please leave a favorite and a review, and follow for instant updates on the story! Love you all!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**

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Natsu stared at Harlowe, mouth gaping wide (AN: rather fish-like honestly). " _A fire God slayer?!"_ Harlowe looked amused at his outburst but continued talking.

" _I met Amanda in town, but at first I didn't know who she was. She had distinct wavy hair, and looked strikingly different from her mother and father, with deep green eyes and a slight reddish tint to her chocolate brown hair. As imagined, her traits didn't pass to Queen Layla, or to Lucy, she got the majority of mine. But, what caught my attention, even though I couldn't see her face, was her purple hood, tied in a delicate bow around her neck. She was striking, even when you couldn't see the beauty of her face. The hood was tied so perfectly, and the material was so fair, I don't know why, but I couldn't ignore it."_ Harlowe stopped for a moment, and it gave Natsu time to ponder. 'A purple hood, tied in a bow. It sounds so familiar, but...' His thoughts were cut off as Harlowe spoke again.

" _She was helping an old woman, who seemed poor and frail, through town. The woman tried to thank her for her kindness, but she wouldn't hear of it. She pulled a few coins and dropped it in the lady's hand, and smiled and turned away before she could protest. And our eyes met. We spoke, but she had to return to her castle. I didn't give up, and when they announced the pre-coronation ball, I went. I wasn't much on social gatherings at the time, but I had to see her again. She found me at the dance, and she dealt with my clumsiness through many dances that night, she even taught me to waltz, though I can't say I was good. And after that night, she was throned Queen, and soon after, granted Fairy Tail a sum of money to establish themselves. And we got married, and she taught me many things. About ruling a country, about life, love, and magic. That journal she received from her mother, inside holds many secrets. I wish I could tell you what all it says, but I only know what she told me. The journal itself is bound by magic, the magic of the celestial spirit King, granted to Amanda's mother, or Lucy's great grandmother. It only opens for the royal line of celestial mages, or to one who was foretold many years ago. The dragon who can save a falling star. That's all I have ever known, and King Jude saw that prophecy in you."_

The young Mage sat in an awed silence. Harlowe's eyes met his, and he saw a fiery passion in them, one he often felt in himself. " _Natsu. I don't know how this world works. It is a mysterious place filled with many dangers, many people, and so much power. I don't even know the world where my magic came from, where yours is, where Lucy's resides. But I can see something in you, something so much like myself. I don't know why I had the feeling this morning something big would happen, and I also don't know why everything happens as it does. But we all believe in you, and I know already that Lucy must too. She has told me tales of what has become of Fairy Tail, my guild, and of the mysterious people who hold so much power there. Like you."_ Harlowe didn't finish, but he didn't have to. Because in Natsu's mind all the wheels were turning. It lined up. The hood, the princess, the castle, Harlowe's story. He realized that it almost mirrored his own encounter with the princess, and why the journal seemed to grow warm in his hand, almost comforting.

" _Thank you for this Harlowe. No, I have no idea what's going on, but I can feel this is important. Whatever has happened to the Princess, Lucy herself, I don't know what to do but I will do what I can."_ The old man smiled, and looked to the ceiling, staring at the brightest glowing star in the center. " _That book is for you, bring it with you. But for now, you need a place to rest. Please, one moment."_ With that, the bulbs hanging from the wall shuddered, before going dark. The stairway fell black as well, and it felt that the shop above also drained of its power too. The two sat in darkness for a moment, before Harlowe burst into brilliant flames.

Natsu recoiled quickly, as the golden flames burst from around the man. They spread, winding glowing trails through the room, and the stars on the ceiling above burst brighter and brighter with the light. Magical energy flowed in waves as the shimmering light filled the place fully. The stars and flames collided and Natsu felt a shift. Grabbing on to a post of the bed as the room seemed to quake, from behind a shelf, grew an opening. The wall itself opened, to another corridor, which led to further rooms, lit by the mysterious bulbs, that all flickered to life together. The overwhelming light continued for another moment, before it all went quiet again, leaving Harlowe and Natsu to face the corridor.

* * *

The man looked on over the shop, gliding through the air above, unseen. A laugh. " _He has come."_

* * *

 **Bum bum bum! Another cliffhanger, another mystery! Everything is getting exciting! I'm excited, are you excited?! O-Kay, you guys knows what to do! Please favorite and follow if you like the story and please please please review! I really would like to know what you all think!**

 **For the love of magic I write for you!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	7. The Door of Memories

**Hello again! It feels like it has been so long since I have worked on this story, which it really hasn't, but I have been facing some stuff with the guy I like (which I won't elaborate on, as I would hate to bore you) and so I am not feeling the greatest, so I didn't think my chapters would be that great, I am doing my best to feel better though, so I do hope you enjoy! Without further ado, Natsu the Fire Dragon!**

 **~naluhedgehogs**

Harlowe ushered Natsu down the corridor, but he hung back, trying to figure out what had even happened. Noticing that he wasn't being followed, Harlowe turned to the pinkette, laughing at the look of disbelief on the young dragon slayer's face.

" _This building was built by a fire Mage back when this town was still new and developing. It used to be a magic store, and each worker here had s different magical ability. He would train mages down here on how to use their skills, and created this corridor to test them. With a certain exertion of magical power, at just the right force, it would activate the rune placed on it and open it up. This corridor was later made to house the mages and their secrets, each room created specially for their magical abilities. A room of enchanted lava rock for fire mages, like the owner, a cavern of diamond ice for ice mages, an underground sky room for air mages, an enchanted garden for earth and plant mages, and their most prized room, a room infused with the magic of the celestial world, given as a gift from the celestial king himself. However, this gift was more valuable than anything present on this earth at the time. Separate of celestial gate keys, there was no other way to access any of the celestial spirit kingdom, but this room lay portal to it, and precautions were in order to protect it. A celestial Mage was the only one able to access it, and when she left, they were forced to close the shop to keep it safe. The owner left to find someone to protect it, and he came back with me."_

Natsu looked down the corridor in wonder, to him it seemed a normal hall. Harlowe continued his trek, and this time, the dragon slayer followed him. As they walked, Natsu observed in confusion. The hallway was lit pretty well, but it still seemed dim. The hall appeared to be carved directly from stone, and the edges were rough. It continued far down, but from what he could see, there were no doors in sight. He opened his mouth to question the man before him, but he stopped every time he tried.

It felt like they had walked forever before the man pulled to a stop, causing Natsu to jolt to a halt quickly to avoid colliding. Harlowe faced one of the bare walls, and when the dragon slayer saw nothing upon it, he eventually gave in to the temptation. " _What are you looking at?"_ He was silent for a minute, but eventually Harlowe replied. " _A door."_ He stated. Natsu waited for him to continue. He did not.

" _Focus, son. This was built using magic. Not everything is as it seems, if you only look once, you will miss the details that give away folly from reality."_ He spoke almost in a proverb, his voice solemn and stern. Natsu squinted at the wall, and still felt blind to what Harlowe was seeing. He wanted to give up, but Harlowe repeated. " _Focus, son."_

And suddenly, a memory shot through Natsu's brain.

 _"I can't do it! It's impossible!" He cried, falling dramatically on the forest floor, leading the large red dragon to let out a sigh._

 _"You can, Natsu. You need to try again" His stern golden eyes observe him, and Natsu pulles himself up again. "Focus, son."_

 _Standing firm, Natsu held out his fist, closed his eyes, and breathed. In, out._

 _Heat._

 _"A fire! A real fire!" He cried in joy, as his arm was lit by the light flames. Igneel let out a laugh. "Not quite a fire, young one. A flame. But I believe, one day, you will be able to make a fire. One day"_

The memory faded, and Natsu clutched his fist. " _One day"_ he murmured, looking at his flexing hand. He looked back at the wall, and closed his eyes. Breathe. In, out.

A door.

He almost jumped back in shock as he saw it, clear and firm in front of him. A door, built of heavy cherry mahogany wood, rimmed in a dark gold, charred in a flamed pattern around the edges. Harlowe smiled to himself as he watched, and remembered the first time his young granddaughter held that same face of surprise.

 _She stood, watching in wonder, as the golden flames leapt out and filled the room with light. The bright light faded, leaving the corridor, and the young girl followed her grandfather happily, trusting him to never lead her to danger._

 _They walked the hall, and she observed the walls keenly. He passed the doors leading to the elemental rooms, and she didn't bat an eye or seem to perceive their existence. But, as he led her to the enchanted door at the end of the hall, she gasped._

 _Rushing ahead, Harlowe watched in slight amazement as the young blonde ran up to the domed silver arch frame, running her fingers lightly over the intricate carvings. He himself could not see more than the wall, as this room was not of his element, but knew of its location. He was awed, however, by her ability to see without seeing, an ability that the owner had termed, and said he had only experienced once._

 _He should have known._

The last wisp of his recollection startled him, and he focused back on the reality in front of him. His memory proved to him her power, and he SHOULD have known. But he didn't.

Shaking his head of his grieving, he observed the dragon slayer who looked from him to the door with excitement. " _Now_ " Harlowe spoke, " _to open this door, you must steady your energy, and open it from your heart"_ " _What?!"_ Natsu questioned, looking at the man in confusion, but he wouldn't elaborate. Sighing, he faced the door, lit his fist on fire and launched it towards the lock.

Before he got within half a foot of it, a wave of magic repulsed him, and he flew back, crashing into the wall. " _What the hell?!"_ He barked, attempting to stand, before cringing in pain, and falling back to the floor. Harlowe observed him in mild concern.

" _Rash attacks won't open it. You cannot use brute force, I already said. Steady your energy, and open it from the heart"_ His reply was met with the same blank stare. Eventually, Natsu managed to pull himself up, light himself on fire, and approach the door in varying ways. A jump kick. Didn't work. A side slam. Nope. Simply approaching it also resulted in his repulsion.

As he flopped on the ground, defeated, Harlowe let out a sigh. " _Behind this door there are secrets held by many generations of fire mages. For that reason, the only way to pass through is to prove to the door that you need to, from the bottom of your heart. It works that way to protect ill-meaning people from getting in, if you don't prove to the door how important this is to you, it will continue to fling you on your back."_ Natsu eyed the man as he slowly started to question this man's sanity. " _You want me.. To prove to a DOOR.. That I want to get in."_ He stated, less as a question, and more as an assurance he understood him right.

When he didn't get a response, he pulled himself up one more time, and walked to a safe distance. Feeling Harlowe's eyes, he knew he had to try it, no matter how crazy it sounds. He bowed slowly, clasping his hands together, and spoke. " _Please, grant me entrance"_ the longer he stood in the awkward half bow, the more stupid he felt. But, he stayed determined, and soon after, he heard a loud creak.

The worn hinges groaned under the weight of the heavy mahogany, and it slowly pulled open, to reveal a dark chamber inside. Looking to Harlowe, Natsu received a nod, and stepped inside, the door quickly pulling shut behind him, leaving Harlowe to observe from the hall.

* * *

 **Anddddddd done! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned to learn more of what this chamber will hold! Hehe, please drop a review, letting me know what you thoughts, and follow and favorite for updates! Love you all**

 **For the love of magic I write for you**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


	8. Update?

**Hey guys! Just a quick post so you guys know I am not dead! Sorry it isn't an update but that may be coming soon *wink wink*... Anyway, I have been super busy but I hope you haven't given up on me! I posted an actual chapter on one of my other stories if you wanna check it out but also I hope for a new update to come out for this one too soon.**

 **Also, to the darling reviewer who asked: I started italicizing speech a while ago in my writing on ff because people often commented that people's speech could get lost in the story so I wanted to make it stand out a bit more! Thanks for the question!**

 **If anyone has anything they would like to ask, recommend, or just comment do not hesitate to do that, I love love love reading them and will definitely try to get to answering them! But with that, I bid you good night (or morning or afternoon) until next time!**

 **Lots of love**

 **~naluhedgehogs**


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